


Visions of Sugar Plums

by Toppbanana



Category: Doctor Who, Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: Angst, Dimension Hopping Rose, F/M, NSFW, Romance, Smutty reunion, The Nutcracker, fuff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-12-18
Updated: 2015-01-11
Packaged: 2018-03-02 02:37:20
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 14,898
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2796563
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Toppbanana/pseuds/Toppbanana
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After what Rose hopes is her final jump with the dimension cannon lands her in a sweet smelling winter town, she encounters the Doctor’s newest companion, Donna Noble. However, the Doctor is nowhere to be found and the worst is presumed, but there is hope: The Sugar Plum Fairy.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This is my dwsecretsanta gift for the-untempered-prism! I hope your holidays are magical and everything you want them to be! You are wonderful, and I’m terribly sorry for the wait, I hope it’s worth it!! (This was originally only going to be a one-shot…It will be 2-3 chapters now, I’m sorry!)  
> The rating is for future chapters.

                                                                 

 

The first thing Rose Tyler noticed was the splitting headache and wave of nausea that brought her to her knees. Side effects like this had happened before, but it wasn’t very common, and had never been this intense. In the past, her team figured there was some fault with her dimension cannon. They made a few adjustments, replaced some of the circuitry, tinkered with a few of the calibrations, and said it was good to go. Aside from a jump that landed her in a damp alley that was filled with little white blobs stumbling about, and were later sucked up into the sky, the negative side effects hadn’t occurred again. Until now, and they were back with a vengeance.

Finally giving into the pain she slumped over, curling into a ball hoping the discomfort would recede soon. Attempting to take deep breaths to slow her racing heart, she vaguely noted something fluffy yet cold, crunchy yet wet, seep through her jeans.

The last thing Rose noticed before succumbing to blissful darkness was the overwhelming scent of peppermint and cinnamon.

~&~

The air around her was warm and sweet, like pulling a fresh batch of cookies out of the oven. It wafted around her, cocooning her, offering comfort as the memories of her most recent jump came back to her.

_Jake had locked her cannon on to an unusual reading. It wasn’t a bad unusual, in fact they all thought it looked rather promising, and after more than three years of practically jumping blind, they could use something promising._

_However the readings were unpredictable. They didn’t know how long it would take for the device to recharge for a return trip, if a return trip was even going to be possible. They all wanted to delve a little deeper into researching what it all meant. Everyone, that is, except Rose._

_She had a feeling in her gut that they were on to something huge. It may not be a perfect jump, but if there was even the smallest chance for her to find some trace of the Doctor, she was going to take it. If she learned anything over the years of traveling with the Doctor and on her own, it was to trust her instincts and never give up._

_She attempted to be as allusive to her mother as possible, but her mother knew, she always knew. The good-bye shared between them was different this time around. Only a few quiet tears were shed, Jackie didn’t beg Rose to stay and try to make a new life in the new universe just as she had, nor did she breakdown sobbing. It was as if she had the same feeling that Rose did. Jackie had a second chance at love and happiness, it was high time that Rose had the same opportunity._

_So, with the help of Jake, Mickey, Jackie, and Pete, Rose made what she hoped would be her last jump._

Her limbs felt like they were made of lead, anchoring her to her plush surroundings (a bed perhaps?). She could make out the rays of sunlight behind her eyelids as it warmed her skin before drifting off again.

~&~

Rose awoke again feeling much better. Though her eyes were still heavy, so she kept them closed and tried to take in her surroundings.

She was definitely in some sort of a bed. The sheets were soft against her skin, and the pillow was perfectly fluffed. There was something nonthreatening about how comfortable she was. The air smelled sweet with hints of spice, just like earlier, but it seemed stronger now.

“But do you think she will help us?” a hushed male voice distracted Rose from her sensory inventory of her location.

“Leave her alone, Fritz,” another quiet voice scolded. “She’s clearly not from around here. Look what happened to the last travelers we had. He tried to help us, and ended up being hauled off. We’re lucky nothing happened to Mother Ginger.”

“But she fits almost perfectly! You saw her!” the first voice countered sharply.

“Maybe she’ll want to stay here with us, too!” A third voice chimed in excitedly. It was decidedly younger than the other two.

“She’s not going to want to stick around when she find out that we-“

Rose finally cracked an eye and took in her surroundings. She was in a small bedroom that looked almost Victorian, but brighter and more cheerful. The light of the setting sun just managed to peek through a large snow dusted window. On the wall opposite her a small fireplace burned low. A thick duvet was pulled up to her chin keeping any of the chill out.

“You three are going to wake the poor girl!” an older woman’s voice hissed from just outside a closed door. “She’s lucky to be alive, and she doesn’t need you lot setting up a new death bed for her.”

At these words, both of Rose’s eyes sprang open and she sat up quickly. She soon flopped back against the pillows as another spell of dizziness took over. She groaned into the blanket.

The group outside the room must have heard her because the door softly creaked open.

“Miss? Are you awake?” the voice of the older woman whispered into the room.

“Yeah,” Rose croaked out. Her voice sounded like she had swallowed a truck full of gravel, it felt just like it too. It was as if she hadn’t spoken a word in years.

“Fritz, Marie, go fetch a platter of hot chocolate with some of the freshly baked biscuits. The poor dear must be famished,” the woman said before peaking her head around the door.

She had greying hair piled on top of her head held in place with various decorative pins. Judging by the streaks that ran through, it must have been flaming red at one point, though she didn’t really look old enough to have greying hair. She had bright blue eyes and a kindly face that lit up when she saw Rose. Something about her was familiar, every single one of Rose’s senses screamed that she had encountered this woman before. However, before she could fully enter, a small streak of pink and orange flew past her and landed with a flop at the foot of Rose’s bed.

“Marzipan! What did I just tell you?” the woman said sternly as she entered the room. The way her hands flew to the hips of her dark yellow dress reminded Rose of her own mother. “Now apologize.”

“I’m sorry, Miss,” the little girl mumbled solemnly sliding off the bed, contritely looking down at her feet. Her soft pink hair was pulled into curled pigtails and her pale orange dress puffed out around her knees, giving her an almost doll-like appearance.

 “I have a little brother who does the same thing, there’s no need to apologize,” Rose smiled, slowly sitting up and reclining against the ample pillows.

“I’m Marzipan, but everyone calls me Marzi, and this is Mother Ginger,” the little girl said, her earlier brightness rekindled. “What’s your name? Are you going to stay here with us for Christmas?” That’s when Rose finally noticed a shoulder height glittering Christmas tree that sat in the corner topped with a gold star.

 “Now Marzi, let her get her bearings straight,” Mother Ginger admonished, but not without fondness for the little girl. She stoked the fire back to life before turning back to Rose. “How are you feeling?”

“M’alright. Head’s still a bit fuzzy and I’m a little tired, but I’m alive thanks to you and your children,” Rose smiled gratefully.

Mother Ginger chuckled, “Oh these aren’t my children. They have a bit of a knack for picking up strays. They found me wandering around the village with very little memory of how I got here.  They brought me to this house until I was well again,” she sighed sadly, her eyes down cast. “I guess we sort of look after each other now.”

“Mother Ginger’s friend was taken by the army, just like so many others. But don’t worry, the beautiful pink and yellow fairy is going help us! Aren’t you?” Marzi turned to look at Rose, hope flaring in her eyes.

“Fairy?” Rose asked, her brow furrowing in confusion.

“Yes! You’re the Su-“

“Fresh sweets and hot chocolate!” An older girl beamed, walking into the room followed by a boy carrying a tray laden with treats and mugs of hot chocolate piled high with clouds of whipped cream.

“This is Marie and Fritz,” Mother Ginger said taking the tray from the boy and setting it on the bed next to Rose. Marie looked to be a few years younger than Rose. She had raven hair that flowed down her back, the sides pulled back with a bow that matched her crimson dress. Fritz looked to be a year or two younger than Marie. He had a faint layer of freckles that spread across his face and hair the same shade has Marie. Rose assumed they were brother and sister.

“This is the best hot chocolate in all the land,” Marie said, passing Rose a mug. “It’ll make you feel better in no time!”

Rose took a sip of the hot chocolate and felt her eyes roll back in pleasure. Marie wasn’t exaggerating. The drink was perfectly rich and sweet without being too overwhelming. Hints of cocoa, cinnamon, and vanilla danced merrily across her pallet before she swallowed, warming her entire body to the core.

“You think that’s good, wait until you try the candied snowflakes!” Mother Ginger’s voice was laced with enjoyment. “I would have lived off them for weeks if these three hadn’t stepped in.”

“Now you eat a well rounded diet of candied snowflakes, gingerbread, hot chocolate, peppermint fluff, and chocolate chip cookies,” Fritz said deadpan.

“I most certainly do not!” Mother Ginger huffed, crossing her arms.

Soon all three children were in stitches imitating Mother Ginger gorging on all of the wonderful foods this land had to offer.

Rose tried very hard to stifle her own giggles, she really did. But the pure joy and laughter shared between Marie, Fritz, and Marzi was too infectious. She found herself laughing right along with them.

“Oi! That’s enough out of you lot!” Mother Ginger snapped, her cheeks faintly pink. Gone was the kind, motherly voice from before. Now it sounded very similar to something Rose would hear back on the estate. The amusement was immediately replaced by a tense silence. Again, Rose was reminded of her mother: the tone of voice, the narrowed eyes, even the accent was reminiscent of home and all the times that someone had dared to cross Jackie Tyler. A wave of guilt surged through her. This woman had been kind enough to take Rose into her home, feed her, and keep her safe. The last thing Rose wanted to do was offend Mother Ginger. 

Rose’s mouth opened, an apology poised on the tip of her tongue, when Mother Ginger spoke again. This time with a smile.

“I cannot believe you forgot chestnut soup! I can’t sleep unless I’ve had a bowl of it!” The room erupted into laughter again.

It felt so good to laugh. Sure, she had laughed that time when Jake had turned his eyebrows and nose hairs bright pink, and she had laughed when her younger brother would attempt to stick bits of noodle to her mother’s backside in order to create a tail, but she hadn’t had a side-splitting, care-free laugh in a very long time…

Falling backwards onto metal grating, trying a new food, putting on outlandish costumes from other times and worlds, running for her life hand in hand with the man she…an even stronger sense of guilt wormed its way through her, settling in the pit of her stomach like a ball of hot lead. Bile rose up in her throat with the memory of why she was even here in the first place.

“Thank you so much for helping me, but I really should be going,” Rose smiled, swinging her legs out from under the blankets. Only briefly did she register she was no longer wearing pants and her leather jacket, but rather a long white nightgown and matching silky slippers.

“But you just got here!” Marzi protested as Rose began to search the room for her gear and dimension cannon. “It’s Christmas eve! No one should be alone on Christmas!”

“We found you half frozen to death, you really should rest more,” Mother Ginger added calmly.

“My body’s pretty tough. It can handle more than it looks,” Rose muttered absentmindedly as she looked under the bed. It wasn’t a lie. Over the past few years, she had discovered that she healed at an alarmingly fast rate, she didn’t get sick or fatigued as often, and even found that she was able to withstand extreme temperatures and pain now. She never got around to actually test what had happened.

Suddenly, the room began to tremble. It started out as faint tremors at first, but they got progressively more violent. Lights on a Christmas tree Rose had missed earlier flickered a few times before going out completely. Small glass figurines fell from atop the fireplace, shattering on impact. Rose only saw the remaining survivor of the crash, a wolf, for an instant before being ushered out of the room.

After being led down a series of stairs into a candle-lit cellar, Rose finally went on the defensive.

“What’s going on? What is this place?”

Mother Ginger locked the door in several places and lit a few more candles before turning to the group before her. “I don’t think I’m the right one to explain it. I’ve only been here a few months. I only know what has happened to me, but these three, they’ve lived it their entire lives.”

Rose looked at the faces of the children before her. Their postures were strong and tall, but they all had hints of fear glinting in their eyes. She knew that look. It was one that was only gained after living through hell, and constantly being afraid for your life and those you care about, but that fear isn’t going to get you anywhere. You need to be strong and keep those around you safe. It was a look that she often saw on the Doctor’s face, and then on her own.

“What’s going on?” she asked again, more softly.

Marzi took Rose’s hand and led her to a small table with mismatched chairs. When Rose sat down, Marzi crawled into her lap and snuggled into her. Rose couldn’t help but be comforted by the small girl’s presence.

“This is the Kingdom of Sweets on the planet of Stahlbaum,” Marie began, taking a seat next to Rose, they were joined by Fritz and Mother Ginger. “Many years ago, this kingdom was ruled over by King Drosselmeyer. He was a good king, fair and kind to all. He managed to end a hundred year war with the Silberhaus Empire. They’re now our biggest ally in everything from trading and travel to war. Under his reign, we entered our longest and most prosperous period of peace.

“One day, King Drosselmeyer went missing. Not a trace of him left. Initially, many people were suspicious of the Silberhaus’, but their queen had also gone missing.

That’s when we found out that both lands had been combined and were being ruled over by one throne.”

“The Great Mouse King,” Marzi whispered softly.

“The Great Mouse what?” Rose asked, not sure if she had heard the girl correctly.

“The Great Mouse King.” Fritz spat in disdain. “He plunged our kingdom into despair! We live in constant fear of becoming one of his experiments.”

At Rose’s confused expression, Marie continued on. “The Great Mouse King is afraid of losing the throne, so he is constantly looking for ways to enhance his army. Recently, he has started abducting people from across the lands and those who travel here. He performs experiments on them in the hopes of making the ultimate solider. One who will be stronger, smarter, faster. One who will be undefeatable.”

Rose finally put two and two together: the vibrations that rocked the house, it was from the incoming royal army. They were taking and hurting innocent people all so a this king could find his perfect warrior. This wouldn’t do, she had to help somehow.

“Have any of you seen my gear?” Rose asked. “I want to help.”

“I’m sorry, Miss, but I don’t think there is anything you can do,” Marie smiled sadly. “Mother Ginger’s friend was a very smart and powerful traveler, and he wasn’t able to do anything.”

“We aren’t going to lose someone else to that army,” Fritz responded fiercely. 

“My dimen- my kit, it has something that may be able to help,” After a few jumps landed her in rather undesirable territory torn by civil wars or otherwise unsavoury characters, her dimension cannon was fitted with several methods of defence. She tried never to use them, always attempting to use reason. But if her life, or those of others was going to be put at risk, she resorted to tactics she hoped she wouldn’t ever have to use again. Unfortunately, this seemed like one of those times.

“I’ve also done a fair bit of traveling myself,” she retorted, slightly miffed. “I’ve seen the death of suns, werewolves, and a giant talking homicidal flap of skin. But there isn’t much I can do without my stuff.”

Everyone in the cellar shifted uncomfortably; doing everything they possibly could to avoid any and all eye contact. But it was Mother Ginger who decided to speak first.

“Your coat and other clothing items are hidden safely away in a chest in the attic.”

Rose cared deeply for that jacket. The blue jacket reminded her of the one worn by her first Doctor wore. He wore it like a suit of armour, and that’s kind of what hers felt like when she jumped. She felt naked without it, vulnerable. It now made sense why the Doctor rarely took it off unless he was in the comfort of the TARDIS.

But, aside from a few bits and bobs tucked away in the (exceptionally ordinary sized) pockets, it wasn’t going to be any use to them in this time of unrest. What she needed was her dimension cannon.

“What about a large black thing? It would have been slung across me when you found me.”

Again they fell into an awkward silence.

“Please, I want to help, but there isn’t much I can do like this,” Rose said a little more urgently.

Wordlessly, Mother Ginger got up and walked over to a large wardrobe. She returned with a bulky bundle wrapped in a quilt. Her eyes were downcast as she set the item on the table in front of Rose and took her seat again.

Rose looked at the tightly wrapped object before her. It looked as though it had been wrapped quickly, but not without care, like whoever did it was frightened of it. Rose raised her eyes to the group in front of her. A silent nod from Mother Ginger gave Rose the go ahead to open it.

Her heart dropped instantly, squashing any bit of comfort the family had provided her. The dimension cannon, or rather what was left of it, lay in front of her in two separate pieces. The left half was slightly bigger than the right, two coloured wired were all that attached the halves together. Other various frayed wires stuck out of cracks and holes. The entire shattered device gave off a potent burnt smell. As Rose trailed her fingers up and down the cannon, sparks shot out of the end, singeing the tips of her fingers and only emphasizing how far gone it was.

“When we found you, or main concern was getting you safely off the street and away from the Royal Mouse Army,” Marie said quietly. “We noticed this device beside you, broken, but we couldn’t risk it falling into the wrong hands.”

Rose couldn’t find any words, every time she opened her mouth, bile would rise in her throat, the burning sensation eclipsed only by her sense of dread.

“Miss, we are truly, very sorry. If there is anything at all-“ Marie’s voice broke off when another series of tremors rocked the house. Marzi gasped and burrowed her face into Rose’s neck, her petite frame trembling in fear. If she was going to spend the rest of her days here, she was going to have to put aside her feelings and grief for a little while and help these people. Maybe one day she could rebuild the dimension cannon or grow to call this world home.

“Well, it’s not like I haven’t hopped about and lived on other planets before,” Rose forced a smile, stroking Marzi’s hair to try and soothe her. “Other universes in fact,” she added with a mirthless chuckle that was meant more for herself.

“Sorry,” Mother Ginger finally spoke again. “With all of this excitement, we didn’t exactly catch your name or where you’re from. I’m not normally this rude, that’s my…” she trailed off, her eyes glossing over.

“My name’s Rose. Rose Tyler,” Rose began. She watched Mother Ginger’s head shoot up, eyes wide. “And I’m not really from anywhere anymore. I guess you could say earth originally. But I’m just a traveler. Like I said, I’ve hopped about quite a bit, sometimes literally.” Rose smiled fondly at her own inside joke.

“Rose Tyler?” Mother Ginger repeated, her voice with traces of awe and disbelief. Rose nodded, not entirely sure where this woman was going. “The Rose Tyler?” Again, her voice dipped into a very distinct, familiar accent.

Rose furrowed her brows; a creeping sensation tingled at the base of her skull. This Mother Ginger seemed to know who Rose was. Perhaps they had met when she was traveling with the Doctor? She had met so many people in her years of traveling through the stars, with and without the Doctor, but she didn’t have an inkling of ever meeting this woman.

“It is you! Oh my God, this is brilliant!” Mother Ginger shouted in glee.

“Have we met?” Rose asked. Hairs on the back of her neck prickled; there was some sort of connection to Mother Ginger. She obviously knew who Rose was, and even seemed to feel relieved to find her. So why couldn’t Rose figure out who Mother Ginger was?

“Erm no, not exactly…very briefly, but that hardly counts. You probably don’t remember it anyways, I didn’t really look like this,” she looked a little sheepish, but still excitement radiated off her. Rose raised her eyebrows expectantly, waiting for Mother Ginger to continue.

“You were lost to a parallel universe after saving your original one. You were separated from a man who cares for you very deeply. I met him right after he lost you, a downright mess he was. Completely unbearable, let me tell you! And on my wedding day too! ‘Course that ended up a bust…”

Rose’s heart thudded in her chest. “Who are you?” her voice cracked, barely above a whisper. Her head was swimming, unable to form a full thought. Surely Mother Ginger couldn’t be talking about… A hopeful voice in the back of her mind, one she had long grown accustomed to silencing, spoke about how all of the readings prior to her jump had led her here, to this planet, at this exact point in time, for a reason. But it couldn’t be, could it?

“My real name is Donna Noble, and I travel with an friend of yours. You wouldn’t happen to remember the Doctor, would you?”


	2. Chapter 2

Rose couldn’t breathe; the earlier thudding of her heart had ceased completely. Forgetting the small girl on her lap, Rose stood up and began to pace, her feet itching to run. Whether it was to go and find the Doctor or to just get out, she wasn’t sure.

She could only bring herself to half listen to Mother Ginger, or rather Donna Noble, explain how she ended up on this planet. Rose was still in shock about what she had just heard. She had not only found the right universe, but the right planet and time as well! He was here traveling with Donna Noble!

“And after the disaster that was last Christmas, I told him that I wanted a proper Christmas. One with a tree and eggnog, and one where he didn’t swan off and mope about in that little blue box-“

“So are you an…are you and him…” Rose interrupted suddenly but was unable to finish her sentence, afraid of what she might hear. Words from a previous companion rang in her ear, though he seemed to pick someone a bit older (and greyer) this time around. Her thoughts turned cold, and dare she think it, jealous.

“Are me and him together?” Donna snorted, shaking Rose out of her bitter thoughts. “Oh, no, no, no!” Donna doubled over in laughter. “Never ever, no. You go in for a hug and end up surfacing with a paper cut!” Rose eyed the greying redhead, still not entirely convinced.

Once Donna had recovered from her fit, she turned to Rose, her blue eyes shone softly with sincerity. “Honestly, in his eyes there was never anyone else for him but you. Like I said, I met him right after he had said his final goodbye to you. Got beamed right up into that TARDIS of his. In my wedding dress! Poor bloke couldn’t even see straight at that point, let alone form a coherent thought. I didn’t really help by tearing the mickey out of him either. It was all ‘what? What?! WHAT?!’”

Rose found herself cracking a grin at the rather spot on impression of the baffled Doctor. “He kinda has a knack for attracting trouble at weddings,” Rose said. “Okay, the first wedding we attended, the problem was kinda sorta all my fault. Caused a bit of a paradox and almost destroyed half the planet…”

“I almost married a nutter who was already involved with a giant spider woman from space who wanted her little baby spiders to feast on the people of the earth…” Donna responded, her nonchalant tone not trying to one up Rose, but rather declare that she understood the unique lifestyle that one had to adopt when traveling through time and space with an alien. In a weird way, Rose felt comforted by it.

“I’ve met werewolves and farting slitheen, but never a giant spider woman,” Rose could no longer contain her laughter, Donna soon joining her. This was all just so ridiculous; she had found the Doctor and was now bonding with his newest companion over giant spiders and wedding troubles. She immediately liked the woman.

The rattling of the windows and a shrill whistle from Fritz brought them back to themselves.

“You two know each other then?” he asked.

Donna shook her head. “No, but we have a mutual friend. And if she is anything like the Rose Tyler I’ve heard from the Doctor’s numerous stories, she will be able to sort us out in no time! That is if you want to help us.”

Rose blushed heavily at Donna’s kind words. “Of course I want to! Now where’s the Doctor hiding? Surly he’s already got some sort of a plan brewing! He’s already run off to get part of it started hasn’t he? With all of us, we should be able to figure out how to put everything right again!”

The cellar went eerily silent, even the marching outside seemed to stop. Rose looked around at the four faces before her- all of them had paled.

All earlier joy Rose had felt plummeted, along with her heart, as she listened to what became of the Doctor.

He had brought Donna to the Kingdom of Sweets to pick up some Christmas treats and trinkets for her family when the Royal Mouse Army quickly ambushed them. The Doctor had managed to distract the soldiers long enough for Donna to escape. Before he was beaten and taken away, he managed to temporarily remove Donna’s memories and alter her appearance (much to Donna’s dismay) in case she was found and questioned.

Tears welled up in Rose’s eyes, but she willed herself not to cry. “I’m too late…” she murmured. “I’ve come all this way…”

“See, I told you she wouldn’t want to help us when she found out we had a slight rodent problem,” Fritz announced bitterly.

“Leave her alone, Fritz!” Marie whispered. “She just lost her one true love!”

“Both of you, button it!” Donna said sternly. “Rose?” she added kindly, softly touching Rose’s shoulder.

Rose felt adrenaline surge through her veins, slowly bringing her heart back to life. She placed her hand over Donna’s and turned to glare at the young boy. Even without the Doctor’s hand firmly clasped in hers, she still stopped to help those who needed it. She wasn’t going to stop now, especially now with the Doctor gone. Someone had to fill his Chucks.

“Who said anything about not wanting to help?”

“You mean it? You’ll still help us even with your Cavalier gone?” Marie asked hopefully.

“Of course she will!” Marzi exclaimed gleefully, rushing over to wrap her arms around Rose’s waist. “She’s the Sugar Plum Fairy!”

“I’m sorry, Sugar Plum what?”

Marzi giggled, her curls bouncing around her face. “The Sugar Plum Fairy! She is woven from the pink sugars of the sunset and the gold of the stars!” her voice was filled with awe as she looked up at Rose with sparkling eyes.

“It is said that she possesses magic powers,” Marie continued where Marzi had left off. “She saved a battle-worn prince from a fate worse then death. She healed his frozen, black heart with her warmth and compassion. She taught him how to love. Together they’ve fought terrible monsters one wouldn’t dare to dream about.”

“She even looks just like the pictures!” Marzi squealed in delight, jumping back into Rose’s lap and wrapping her arms around her neck. Rose returned the hug, but it did little to ease her confusion.

“Donna?” Rose looked to the redhead hoping she would be able to help.

Her head was swimming. She was stranded on this planet with no dimension cannon, but she had managed to locate the Doctor’s newest companion. However, the Doctor was gone- taken by the Royal Mouse Army, who was currently marching around the kingdom looking for more people to experiment on.

Donna looked to Rose, sympathy written all over her face. Rose could tell Donna was feeling just as lost as she was. Both of them wanted very much to help these children and the rest of their kingdom, but didn’t know how.

“According to a legend,” Donna said breaking Rose out of her thoughts. “The Sugar Plum Fairy will appear at the most needed time.”

“It isn’t just a legend!” Fritz growled, flipping through a tattered book Rose had missed earlier. When he found what he was looking for, he slapped the book on the table and pointed to a page. Rose gasped.

There were several drawings of the same woman with blonde hair. Some of them were just of the girl’s face, her smile bright and infectious. Some had the girl laughing or looking off into the distance. One of them showed the girl wearing a long pink gown, dancing with a tall man in red. However, the one that caught Rose’s attention wasn’t in colour, almost a quick sketch, but it wasn’t without care and detail. So much so, that the drawing made her blush deeply. The woman appeared to be lying in a bed with only a thin sheet, that left little to the imagination, covering her naked form. Her hair cascaded around her head like a halo. Her eyes were closed, eyelashes fanning across her cheeks, but the small smile that painted her lips was one of true happiness.

Rose was so caught up in the sheer beauty of the drawings that she forgot about what had actually sent her jaw dropping in the first place.

“Rose,” even though Donna whispered, Rose still startled at the sound. “Rose, these drawings, they look exactly like you.”

Rose kept her eyes on the images, but felt those of the others on her. The resemblance was uncanny, right down to the little freckle she had on her shoulder.

“That’s because it is her! She’s the Sugar Plum Fairy!” Marzi insisted.

Rose trailed her fingers along the lines of the drawings as if she was trying to coax the secrets they held. In the bottom corner she noticed something scrawled: _My Sugar Plum Fairy_. Tracing the words, she felt a small indentation below it. It seemed to be a series of circles imprinted into the paper, but it was far too intricate to be accidental.

“Are you going to help us, Sugar Plum Fairy?” Marzi asked in a small voice just as the house began to rumble again.

~&~

Rose found herself huddling below a crumbling stonewall that surrounded the grounds of a palace. Well, it certainly would have held the appearance of a palace many years ago. There were traces of the white brick beneath soot stains and dormant vines that snaked up the walls. Even a few stained glass windows remained intact.

That had been when King Drosselmeyer inhabited it. But it had fallen into ruins once the so-called Great Mouse King and his Royal Army had taken over the kingdom.

Somewhere in the distance a clock chimed midnight. It was officially Christmas. Rose tightened the red cloak borrowed from Donna around her shoulders and looked back at the small group behind her. Fritz had quickly and quietly spread the word that they were planning on sneaking into the palace. Most of the villagers opted to not join them in fear of running into the Royal Mouse Army, but they wished them the best of luck.

“So, what’s the plan then?” Donna whispered.

“No idea,” Rose shrugged. “Figured we could make it up as we go along.”

“Make it up as we go along? Bet you got that attitude from the Doctor, you’re just as bad as him! You two really are perfect for each other.”

Rose felt her lips quirk up at Donna’s comment and motioned the few volunteers they did have to follow her into the grounds.

Based on directions from one of the villagers, they made their way through an overrun and snow covered garden until they reached a set of stairs that would lead them inside.

The dimly lit corridor was eerily quiet, only the flickering of the few torches and distant water drips could be heard. There were various doors that all seemed to be locked, so they continued walking until the hallway split off into two.

Donna took Marie and a few others down the hallway to the left, and Rose took Fritz the right.

Even though Rose only came across more locked doors and small empty alcoves, she couldn’t shake the feeling that she was being watched. Without warning, a tiny warm hand slipped into hers. Rose bit her tongue to prevent a scream. A head of bouncy pink curls came into her vision and her heart started beating again.

“Marzi, what are you doing here?” Rose whispered, still trying to catch her breath. “It isn’t safe.”

“I wanted to help,” the small girl squeaked with a smile.

“I thought you were staying back to help with the hot chocolate?”

“If I did that, then who would tell you that the others were going the wrong way?”

Before Rose had the chance to ask Marzi what she meant, she heard a scream. It was Donna and Marie.

“It’s me, Donna! Don’t you remember?”

Rose found Donna and Marie cowering in the corner of a dark room. The rest of the villagers she had with her had mysteriously vanished. Towering over her was a tall moving statue. It was dressed in a bright red coat and trousers. Gold epaulettes hung from its shoulders. It had messy brown hair that made Rose do a double take. Its arm squeaked slightly as it poised to strike Donna.

“Rose! You remember Rose, don’t you? You must remember Rose!” Donna cried out when she noticed Rose.

Not having any sort of weaponry or mode of defense, in an act of desperation, Rose slipped off her shoe and threw it as hard as she could, hitting Donna’s attacker with a satisfying smack in the back of the head.

“Oi! Leave them alone!” Rose shouted.

The creature stiffly turned around, light reflecting off its shiny suit. Rose was ready for a lot of things- for the thing in front of her to attack, for it to start summoning more of its minions, hell she would have been ready if it started breathing fire and blowing bubbles out its ears. She was not prepared for what she saw when it had fully turned around. She knew that face anywhere. Other than the times it haunted her dreams, the last time she’d seen it, it were fading away on a Norwegian beach.

“Doctor?” Rose rasped out, all breath having left her lungs.

His face held a blank expression, and if Rose was being completely honest with herself, it hurt. She had honestly thought the Doctor would be pleased to see her. Shocked at the very least, but his face remained emotionless, his eyes unblinking. And that’s when she noticed that his skin seemed to have the same shiny texture as

his clothing. It looked as though he had been dipped in plastic.

Her first thought was the Nestene Consciousness again. It was a bit crueller this time around. The careful details that created a likeness to the Doctor was remarkable, right down to a light shadow of stubble on his cheek.

The Not-Doctor tilted its head to the side, his neck creaking in the process. It was like it was actually aware of her. A thought struck her: what if this wasn’t just living plastic, what if this was the Doctor?

Testing her theory, she held her breath and took half a step forward, her eyes never leaving his face.

“Rose, what are you doing?” Marie whispered desperately. “If that was your Doctor, it’s not him anymore, I’m sorry.”

Rose shook her head and stepped closer still. “It’s him, I know it is! He’s got to be in there somewhere.”

The Doctor remained motionless, and as Rose cautiously approached him, she studied his face. His skin was paper white, with the exception of two dark red circles on his cheek. The intense yet blank look on his face should have intimidated her, and in truth she was frighten. Not of him, never of him, but of what had become of her Doctor.

“Rose,” Donna said. “Just be careful.” She then grabbed Marie’s hand and snuck out of the alcove.

“Why did you leave her alone with him?” Fritz whispered harshly. “She’ll be killed!”

“Weren’t you insisting a little while ago that she was the Sugar Plum Fairy? Have a little faith,” Donna retorted, closely watching the scene between Rose and the toy solider-looking Doctor unfold.

“Doctor?” Rose repeated softly, still gravitating towards the Doctor. “It’s me. It’s Rose. I came back…”

The Doctor cocked his head to the other side, his expression still grimly blank, but Rose could have sworn she saw something flicker in his unblinking eyes. Even if it was a trick of the light, she felt encouraged.

Slowly raising her hand to not spook him, Rose gently touched the Doctor’s cheek. For a brief, heart-stopping moment, the Doctor did nothing. Rose began to move away when he leaned, ever so slightly, into her touch. Rose let out the breath she had been holding.

A hard, ice cold hand came up and encircled her wrist. Worried she had gone too far, Rose tried to break free, but his grasp was far too strong. Just as she was about to call back to Donna for help, she felt the Doctor place her hand back on his cheek, holding it in place with his own hand, and lean into her more firmly.

“Doctor?”

Unable to speak, the Doctor only nodded. He brought his free hand up to touch her cheek, mimicking her actions form earlier. Rose felt a tear slip down her cheek. “Oh Doctor, what have they done to you?”

Pushing her emotions aside for now, Rose grabbed the Doctor’s hand and led him back out into the corridor where Donna and the others were.

As they approached the others, Rose kept the Doctor’s hand firmly clutched in her own. She was disappointed to find she was unable to lace their fingers together, but she did take a little comfort in the temperature change that seemed to be occurring in the Doctor’s skin.

“Are you sure he’s safe?” Fritz eyed the Doctor speculatively. “I mean, what’s stopping him from snapping you like a twig?” If it were possible to look offended when one was turned into a plastic toy solider, the Doctor would have. He pulled Rose closer to him; the action did not go unnoticed by Fritz who opened his mouth to say something else.

“Because it’s the Doctor,” Rose replied simply despite the curdling annoyance at this young boy.

“I’m just saying, he just about snuffed out Mother Ginger here, and you’re a lot smaller… Sugar Plum Fairy or not, this _thing_ could crush you like a candy cane.”

“Button it, Fritz,” Donna hissed, yanking him behind her, then grabbing Marzi and Marie as well. “We’ve got bigger marshmallows to toast.”

Rose whipped around to see the Royal Mouse Army charging towards them. “Mouse” was a very loose term for what the approaching soldiers were, in Rose’s mind. They did have the appearance of the fury grey creature, however, they did not compare in size. They were almost the height of the Doctor, had ears the size of dinner plates, and teeth that could easily bite through more than just cheese.

“That’s the Royal Mouse Army?” Rose scoffed.

“Um, yes,” Donna said sheepishly. “A wee bit of a rodent problem here…”

“And that’s a wee bit of an understatement,” Rose smirked. When the Royal Mouse Army has been mentioned, she definitely did not picture giant grey mice hurdling towards them. Well, she had been reunited with the Doctor, and it wouldn’t be Christmas with the Doctor without a little running. She almost laughed, and then noticed the swords the mice were wielding.

“Swords. Of course they have swords, why wouldn’t they have swords,” she murmured clutching the Doctor’s plastic hand until her knuckles turned white.

The sound of a door breaking off its hinges echoed off the stone walls as several of the villages came barreling in.

“Sorry we’re a bit late,” a young woman with lavender hair said.

“The grounds have been surrounded,” an older man stepped forward. “Afraid we don’t really have proper weaponry, “ Rose noted that only a few of them had sword-like weapons. Most of the villagers carried pitchforks, shovels, and even rolling pins. “But we stand up for what is right, and if the Sugar Plum Fairy is here, she deserves our help! This battle has gone on for long enough!”

“All right you little ginger snaps, weapons at the ready! This eggnog is about to get sour,” someone from the crowd shouted. They all clutched their weapons and each other waiting for the army.

The Doctor pressed what would be his lips against her temple and stepped in front of their small group facing the oncoming army. However, before the he could take another step forward, Fritz thrust him into the wall, the brittle snap of plastic echoing over the approaching soldiers.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A dwsecretsanta gift for the-untempered-prism! Final Chapter! I hope you enjoy! This is where the story gets its adult rating!! Thank you for all of your wonderful comments! :D:D   
> This chapter be or may or may not be as long as the other two chapters. combined....

“Fritz, what the hell are you doing?” Rose screamed rushing over to the crumpled figure of the Doctor. His arm was awkwardly bent up against the wall; both of his hands were a mangled mess. They were still attached to his forearms, but just barely. It looked as though they were limply hanging on by a few shiny threads, rendering them completely useless.

“Over here, Rose. No time for tears,” Donna helped Rose drag the Doctor’s body into another small inlet and passed her the scarf from around her neck. “Wrap that around his hands and arms a few times. It’ll keep them stable for the time being. We will be able to handle these pests for a little while,”

Rose could hear the battle raging on around her while the attempted to fix the Doctor’s hands. Tears pricked her eyes as she ripped a strip of fabric off her nightgown to wrap his other hand.

“Can’t imagine life without holding you hand,” Rose attempted to smile while she ran her shaking fingers through his hair. “Or that gob of yours running,” She traced her fingers near the Doctor’s lips. They still looked plump and kissable despite the fact they were pale and no longer warm to the touch. The Doctor leaned his forehead against hers. The sound of a shrill scream shattered the moment between them and the Doctor jumped to his feet. As Rose was about to do the same, he placed his wrapped hands on her shoulders and gently pushed her down. She took this as a message to stay put.

“If you think I’m just gonna sit here and listen to the battle that’s happenin’ out there, after crossing dimensions to find y…to find this universe again, you’re mad,” she said standing again and putting her hands on her hips. He held up his bandaged hands and backed her up against the wall. Very softly he brought his hands to her cheeks again and slowly leaned towards her. It was almost as if he was about to kiss her. Against her will, her eyes fluttered close. Another round of shouts came from the corridor. By the time Rose had opened her eyes the Doctor had gone.

She ran out to where the battle raged on. She saw Fritz backing a mouse up against the wall, Marzi was jumping on the back of a mouse that had cornered Marie, Donna was whacking a mouse over the head with what looked like a wooden spoon, but the Doctor was nowhere in sight.

She slinked further into the stone cavern, sticking to close to the wall. That’s when she saw him: a mouse that was even bigger than the rest, a mouse that had not one head, but seven, a gold crown placed on the largest of them. In its hand was a giant sword with a sharp jagged blade, a blade that was being slashed in the direction of the Doctor. Rose realized she was once again without a weapon as she reached the duelling pair. Her shoe had been effective before, so she reached down and pulled off the other one and chucked it at what had to be the Great Mouse King himself.

“Oi, sewer rat! Step away from him!” Rose shouted, her voice coming on more confident than she felt.

“Well, well, well, aren’t you a pretty little gum drop,” the Mouse King turned around to face her. There was red staining his broken, yellow teeth and bits of saliva that dribbled from his jowls. Vaguely, Rose registered that the fighting around her had stopped. “And I bet you taste even better. Just look at you, all dressed up like the delectable little sweet you are, practically begging to be unwrapped,” he snatched her wrist and brought it to his mouth where his long, rough tongue swept across her wrist. Rose grimaced at the contact, but kept her feet firmly planted. Behind the King, the Doctor had managed picked up a discarded club and held it above his head before bringing it down with a thud on the back of the Mouse King’s head. The mouse collapsed to the floor instantly. Rose ran to the Doctor wrapping her arms around him in a tight embrace.

“Is it…dead?” Marie asked.

“I don’t think so, just knocked out,” Rose said bending down and noticing the chest of the rat slowly rising and falling.

“Excellent, he is going to have a fair bit of explaining to do. After Christmas of course! Lock him, along with the rest of his army, in the south wing cellar. They shouldn’t get into too much trouble there,” Marzi announced, stepping forward.

“Yes, your Highness,” a few of the villagers said bowing towards the young girl.

Marzi giggled merrily at Rose and Donna’s confused expression. “Terribly sorry about all of this, allow me formally introduce myself: I am Princess Marzipan. After my father, King Drosselmeyer, vanished, I went into hiding. The villagers kept my identity safe in hopes that one day the kingdom would return to its glory. Sorry we had to keep you in the dark.”

“But you’re just a kid?” Donna stammered out.

“Oh yes, that,” Princess Marzipan smiled. She twisted a delicate pendant around her neck and in a flash of light she transformed from a small girl into a young woman. “Simple appearance altering charm! Usually a bit of a party trick, but comes in handy when you’re in hiding.”

Rose and Donna continued to stare open mouthed at Princess Marzi. The hard plastic arms of the Doctor wrapped around Rose’s shoulders, enveloping her into a hug. Despite the cold dampness of the room they were in, the hug spread warmth throughout her. The comfort was short lived, however. The Doctor had broken hands, and even if they could repair them, he had still been turned into a plastic toy solider. Princess Marzipan must have seen the dread cross her face.

“Not to worry, Sugar Plum, we can fix this,” Marzi somehow pulled a thin silver stick out of thin air and lightly tapped the Doctor’s wounded hands. The scarf and fabric around his wrists fell away revealing fully healed appendages, however he remained cold, hard, shiny plastic. She tried again, encasing him in a green glow, but still nothing. “I’m afraid my magic is unable to transform him back. It isn’t strong enough.”

Rose’s shoulders slumped. This couldn’t be happening; it had to be a dream. She pinched herself repeatedly, each time looking up to see the plastic face of the Doctor staring back at her. She had come so far, and the Doctor was here, but it wasn’t right. She would never see his bright smile or sparkle in his eyes again. Her heart all but stopped.

“Rose?” Donna asked gently. “Why don’t we go get you something warm to drink? Marzi, or I guess she’s Princess Marzipan now, is holding a big celebration in honour you saving the day! We’ll get this situation with the Doctor figured out, Marzi’s got the best of the best working on it, that’s good isn’t it?”

Rose let Donna take the hand that wasn’t firmly wrapped around the Doctor’s and lead her numbly out of the damp cellars of the palace.

~&~

Rose sat at the head table between Donna and the Doctor, her hand still wrapped protectively around his, though she wasn’t sure who was being more protective. She had been briefly separated from the Doctor when she had been shuffled off to change out of the torn and mucky nightdress she had on in the dungeons, and into a floor-length pink dress that hugged her body perfectly. “A dress fit for a Sugar Plum Fairy”, Princess Marzipan had told her.

An incredible feast had been laid in front of her was left virtually untouched. She had taken a few sips of tea to attempt to calm her nerves, but even that didn’t work. She had never felt so hopeless in her life.

“Doctor, I’m so sorry. This should never have happened to you. I’m sorry, so sorry,” Rose whispered turning to look at the Doctor. She fought back tears at the sight of him. The painted face would never show his quirky expressions or the light in his eyes whenever he looked at her. He brought his hand up and tried to wipe away the tears that started to fall. He pulled her into a hug, burying his face in the crook of her neck. The whispering of the other people around them went unnoticed by the pair of them.

Rose felt the Doctor pull back and rest his forehead against hers. She could almost feel his warm breath puff against her lips. He brought his hands up and framed her face, his nose nuzzling hers. She closed her eyes and saw the warm grin of the Doctor, his eyes twinkling with adoration, and something she had been sure she had seen before, but only when he thought she wasn’t looking. Leaning in ever so slowly, she softly pressed her lips to his.

Everything seemed to slow and fade away into the background. He wrapped his arms around her shoulders pulling her into him. His hands moved from cradling her face to her hair, where long fingers threaded through it. His hard, unyielding mouth felt strange at first, and then seem to soften and warm, moulding to hers perfectly as he sucked her bottom lip into his mouth.

Rose pulled back with a gasp. She was staring in the shining brown eyes of the Doctor.

“Hello,” he beamed, his face alight with pure happiness. The earlier paleness had faded to his far healthier colour, although his cheeks still seemed to have a slight pink tinge to them (though Rose suspected it was not from the earlier rouge-job).

“Hello,” she echoed back a little breathless and unable to say much else. She reached up and tentatively touched his cheek. The Doctor’s eyes fluttered shut at her contact. His skin was cooler than hers under her touch, but much warmer than it had been. His light dusting of stubble scraping almost pleasantly against her palm, Rose glanced down at his lips again and drifted towards them again.

“Doctor?” Donna’s voice broke into their little bubble.

“Donna Noble!” The Doctor’s eyes snapped open. “It’s good to see you! And not have you trapped in a corner…terribly sorry about all that. Wasn’t really in the right mind then. But not to worry, I’m fit as a fiddle now! What happened to your hair? Why are you all grey now?”

“You bleeped me with that bloody screwdriver of yours, you dumbo!”

“Ah. Right,” The Doctor shrunk back into his chair. “Just a ‘mo.”

The Doctor began patting his chest, presumably looking for his sonic. He looked down and froze.

“What the hell am I wearing?” He arched his eyebrow and fingered the little gold tassels that hung from his shoulder.

“I dunno, I think it’s an improvement. Rather festive, don’t you think?” Donna hid her smirk behind her mug. Before the Doctor could respond, a fanfare of horns erupted in the hall announcing the entrance of Princess Marzipan.

The Princess’ gaze traveled along the head table, her eyes bouncing between Rose and the newly transformed Doctor. Her expression flicked briefly to shock, but it quickly changed to a knowing smile before taking her seat at the centre of the table.

The Doctor turned to Rose, but just as he opened his mouth, the candles dimmed and spritely music began. Rose offered a small smile and took his hand in hers. He promptly altered their positioning so he could hold her hand and wrap his free arm around her, pulling her almost on top of him.

They watched a series of dances put on by children dressed as candy canes, men and women from the coffee and tea regions of the kingdom, beautiful ladies decorated as snowflakes and flowers, and finally Princess Marzipan and one of her cavaliers.

Throughout the dances, the Doctor remained wrapped around Rose. He held her as though he thought she would disappear at any moment. She knew exactly how he felt; considering the last time she had seen him, he did disappear. She clung to his hand as though it were a lifeline. Beneath her, she could feel the Doctor’s hearts racing in tandem.

The Doctor rested his cheek on the top of her head; every now and then she could hear him whisper something into her hair that was followed by the gentle pressure of his lips. She couldn’t help the warmth that seeped through her each time. A smile pricked at the corners of her mouth; she had found the Doctor, he was alive, and no longer plastic. She was home.

“Finally, she smiles!” The Doctor murmured suddenly in her ear, his breath giving her goose bumps.

“I’m happy,” Rose said simply with a sigh, because it was true. She felt his fingers tilt her chin so he could look her in the eye.

“Me too,” his eyes were alight with a joy she had only seen tiny shimmers of, but there was something else there. An almost disbelief and fear lingered in the edges. “But how did you-“

“Now, we ask the Sugar Plum Fairy to join her Cavalier in a dance,” Princess Marzipan’s voice interrupted.

The next thing Rose knew, she and the Doctor were being swept into the middle of the floor with soft music beginning to play around them.

“I guess we should…” Rose gestured between them, her cheeks heating up. With a heart-stopping grin that made her insides turn to mush, the Doctor gently took her hand, and wrapped his other around her waist. He pulled her close enough that the fabric of her dress brushed his feet as they swayed back and forth to the music, but not close enough for them to actually hold each other the way Rose wanted to.

“So…erm…long time no see?” the Doctor smiled awkwardly. Rose imagined if his hands were free, he would be rubbing the back of his neck or tugging at his ear.

“Oh, been busy, you know?” Rose laughed, but it felt slightly forced. There was this tension between them. Tension she hadn’t experienced since his regeneration.

“Rose, I-“

“Doctor-“

Rose felt her lips quirk up into a genuine smile. “You first.”

“How are you here?” the Doctor blurted out as though he had been about to explode. “It was impossible! I looked for every possible loophole, and there wasn’t a chance of ever seeing you again, not even a pinprick! I tried so hard,” he added more softly, his eyes wide.

“Torchwood in the other universe is a bit different, yeah? So basically we built this…erm…this dimension cannon so I could…well, so I could…”

“What?” The Doctor’s face was serious, his eyes searching hers for answers, but his tone gave nothing away.

“So I could come back,” Rose said a little sheepishly with a smile. The Doctor’s face transformed into one of her favourite grins. His entire face lit up like the sun rose and set with her. “Shut up,” she added with a playful roll of her eyes and tongue touched smile as she looked away. The Doctor’s fingers brushed up her jaw to turn her back to him.

“I missed you so much, Rose,” his hand lingered, his thumb caressing the apple of her cheek. “More than you could ever know.” His voice was barely above a whisper and heavy with emotion. He stepped closer so their chests were brushing with their movement.

“Oh Doctor, I missed you too,” Rose leaned into his touch. She could feel him slowly bringing her forward, his breath brushing over her lips.

“Now that’s more like it!” Princess Marzipan shouted. The entire room burst into applause, effectively startling Rose and the Doctor out of their own little world. Rose couldn’t help the giggle that bubbled up in her throat when she heard the Doctor curse under his breath.

The music changed from the delicate, flittering tune the two of them swayed to, to something much louder and quicker. The crowd of people in the hall rushed the floor and begin to dance happily.

With her hand firmly clasped in his, Rose felt herself being quickly led off the dance floor and down a hallway, only stopping when they reach a small nook hidden behind a Christmas tree. However, once they stopped, the Doctor seemed to lose his nerve. His hand still held hers in a vice-like grip, but she could feel a slight tremble beneath her palm.

With his back to her, she couldn’t read his face, but his posture was rigid. He didn’t even appear to be breathing. Not sure of what else to do, she placed her other hand on his, effectively encasing it.

“Doctor?” Rose asked in a small voice. She gave a comforting squeeze of the Doctor’s hand with both of hers.

Her voice seemed to rock him from wherever his thoughts had taken him. He spun around, his dark, fathomless eyes locking onto hers.

“There’s something I should have finished saying on that beach. Something I should have said long ago, and then many times after. But I was a coward,” he said looking at her intensely. “I should have said it as soon as I realized what it was, I had so many opportunities to tell you.”

The Doctor entwined their fingers together, looking down at them as he continued to speak. “And then you were gone. I had lost my last chance to say it. I have so many regrets, but none of them compared to the regret of not finishing that sentence on Bad Wolf Bay.”

“And how would you have finished that sentence?” Rose asked hoarsely, completely aware of her shaking hands.

“Does it need saying?”

Her stomach dropped. She couldn’t look at him anymore. Did it need saying? Of course it bloody well needed saying! When her grip on his hands faltered, her fingers slipping from his, he only held them tighter.

“Rose Tyler, I love you.”

Her head snapped up, searching his face for any sign of fear or regret. What she saw made her breath catch. There was neither regret or fear, but rather tender relief and love. Hope sparkled in his eyes and lingered at the edges of his slight smile. At her silence, the smile faded into vulnerability, his eyes blinking quickly as he looked away, traces of his earlier elation evaporating. He clearly believed he had misjudged her, and was mistaken in his declaration of love. Rose wanted nothing more than to erase that expression, and never see it again.

That was exactly her intention when she grabbed his lapels and slammed her mouth to his.

There was no hesitancy as he became an eager participant, his lips firm and sure. The years of holding back, the years of separation that nearly broke both of them, were poured into each other as their lips caressed each other.

Rose felt the Doctor back her up until she hit a wall. She managed to coax a moan from the back of his throat as she scrapped her nails along his scalp.

His lips moved desperately against hers making up for lost time. Every one of those opportunities that had been missed, were chased away. His tongue traced the seam of her lips and she was only too willing to accept it.

Arousal rapidly pooled deep in her core. The embers she had long pushed aside and never thought she would see again, were stoked into a roaring flame that licked her insides, fuelling her desire.

It was Rose’s turn to moan breathlessly as the Doctor began to trail his lips along her jaw and down the column of her neck where he pause to suckle at her pulse point. She felt his lips quirk up into a smug smile against her skin as he continued to kiss back up to her mouth. This would not do.

She whipped them around, pressing his back into the wall as her mouth sought out his again. She drew his plump lower lip that had teased her for years between her teeth and gently bit down before soothing the pain with her tongue. She swallowed his responding groan.

The Doctor’s hands never seemed to sit still, always roaming and finding new places to touch, but never quite where she wanted him to. A dull throbbing formed between her legs and seemed to beat in time with her racing heart.

Removing one of her hands from his hair, Rose covered one of the Doctor’s and slowly brought it to her breast. He tore is mouth away from hers (she was pleased to note he was panting almost as much as she was) in order to watch as he massaged her chest.

His touches were tentative at first, gentle, as though he was holding a baby bird. He brushed the tips of his fingers over he décolletage, leaving a trail of goose flesh in their wake. When he accidentally scraped his fingernail over her fabric-encased nipple, she threw her head back with a gasp. Chuckling, he grew a little bolder. Using both of his hands to push her breasts together, he brought his mouth to leave a path of searing open mouth kisses along her fleshy mounds. He attempted to pull her neckline lower, but the bodice was too tight and stiff. A frustrated growl escaped him as he recaptured her lips and ground his pelvis into hers.

Rose felt her knees grow weak, and the Doctor must have sensed it. He drew her closer and brought a knee in between her legs where she could rest on his thigh. With his hands on her hips, he encouraged her to rock against him. A fresh wave of arousal pulsed through her, further soaking her already damp knickers.

She knew this desire was far from one sided as she cupped the Doctor through his trousers. His head dropped to her shoulder as he hissed through his teeth.

“Fuck, Rose,” he groaned, thrusting shallowly into her hand.

“Need you…”

Abruptly, The Doctor stilled her hips from grinding and his from thrusting against her hand. Rose whimpered at the loss of friction, but she was soon being dragged down the hallway again.

“Doctor,” her voice was breathless. “Where are we going?”

He rounded on her, backing her up against a wooden door. His eyes were darker than she had ever seen them. His pupils were blown wide with lust, the black pools drowning the warm chocolate brown irises. She had to bite her lip to stifle a moan.

“Unless you want me taking you here in the hallway, where anyone could stumble across us, where anyone could hear you- and trust me, they will be able to hear you- I’m looking for some place a little more private,” the Doctor growled out. “Preferably, some place with a bed.” He placed a rough kiss to her mouth that was far to quick for her liking before tearing off down the hall again.

After testing a few doors (and stealing a few heated snogs), the Doctor finally managed to find what he was looking for. Throwing a sinful grin over his shoulder, he guided her into the room and closed the door with a soft click.

The modest size room was lit by a crackling fireplace and moonlight that streamed in through a large window. Outside, snow softly fell on the palace grounds and surrounding wood. In the centre of the room lay the exact object of the Doctor’s quest: a bed. It looked plush and comfortable, and under any other circumstances, Rose would have looked forward to falling asleep surrounded by the pale satin sheets and feathery pillows. However, as the flickering light of the fire cast alluring shadows across the Doctor’s features and the way his thumb drew tantalizing circles on the inside of her wrist, sleep became the furthest thing from her mind.

When the Doctor turned back to face her, Rose swore she felt her heart skip. His hair was even messier than usual thanks to her busy fingers, his red suit had been delightfully rumpled in their journey to their current location, but it was his eyes that captivated her. They hadn’t lost the heat from earlier, but they were also swimming with an emotion she had never thought the Doctor to ever admit: _love_. He loved her!

After everything they had been through together and everything they had suffered from while apart, Rose couldn’t help the tears that clouded her vision.

“Rose?” The Doctor let go of her hand in favour of cupping her cheeks, his eyes roaming over her face in concern. “Rose, what is it, love? What’s wrong?”

“Happy tears, Doctor,” Rose gave a watery laugh. “I just can’t believe that I found my way back and that I’m here with you.”

“Oh Rose,” The Doctor whispered, leaning down to kiss away the tears that had fallen. When he had finished, his lips hovered over hers waiting for her.

“I love you,” Rose murmured against his mouth before closing the distanced between them.

Unlike the kisses before, this one was unhurried, like they had all the time in the world. They no longer feared the other could disappear without warning. No more desperation, no more waiting, just unwavering love.

The Doctor steered Rose towards the bed until the backs of her knees hit the mattress. Gently easing out of the kiss, he turned her around so her back with facing him. With a soft touch, he swept her hair over her one shoulder and began to undo the tiny clasps at the back of her dress. His fingers lingered, deliberately touching her skin before he would place a feather light kiss to each new section of skin that was exposed. His slow pace was almost painful, but she could feel the wetness gather between her legs with each pass of his lips. At her sigh, she felt him grin against her heated skin before he moved in front of her again.

Rose rolled one of her shoulders so that one of the sleeves of her gown began to slip down her arm, further exposing the swell of her breast. Answering the Doctor’s unspoken question, she nodded, giving him permission to further slip her gown off.

Inch by inch, the Doctor removed her dress, the silky fabric whispering over her hypersensitive skin until the garment pooled at her feet.

The Doctor drank in her figure slightly slack jawed, his eyes never knowing were to stop. With anyone else, Rose would have felt vulnerable and bare standing there in just a tiny set of knickers, but not with the Doctor. When their gazes met again, his expression was tender and loving. It took her breath away.

“You are so beautiful,” he whispered in awe as he tucked a lock of her hair behind her ear. His voice was so soft and low; it was almost as though she wasn’t supposed to hear his words. Rose felt herself blush.

Unwilling to remain idle anymore, Rose removed the two criss-crossing white straps from the Doctor’s chest and began to unbutton his jacket.

“Donna was right,” she smiled coyly as she slid the jacket from his shoulders and casted it aside. “This is quite the festive outfit. I’m quite fond of the little gold tassels.”

“Rooose!” The Doctor whined.

Rose smirked, tracing her finger up to the knot of his tie and pulling lightly. “But I would prefer it on the floor.”

The Doctor was a mess of limbs and fabric as he tried to remove the rest of his clothes and capture her lips again. Rose couldn’t help but laugh when he really only managed to remove his tie and shoes. She stilled his shaking fingers and began to pop the buttons open herself, one by one, in the hope that she would drive him just as insane as he did when undoing her gown.

Properly divested of his oxford and undershirt, Rose set to work on his trousers. Flicking the clasp open, she eased the zipper down, making sure that her fingers brushed along his tented erection. When he inhaled sharply with her name on his lips, she knew she had done her job.

“No pants?” Rose quirked an eyebrow. “Always pegged you for a boxer-brief kinda bloke.” A thrill ran though her at the thought of taking the Doctor into her mouth, his hands tangling in her hair as she brought him to orgasm using her tongue and lips. There would time for that later.

“Are you saying you would rather me be wearing pants right now?”

“Nope, this is good.”

“Are you sure, because I could prob-“

Rose silenced him by yanking his head down to hers with a bruising kiss. She couldn’t help the shiver that ran up her spine as their bare chests finally touched. The light smattering of hair across his torso tickled her pleasantly. She had the sudden urge to run her nails through it. But as the Doctor carefully leaned her back onto the bed and began to trail his lips down her neck, she decided that could wait.

The Doctor continued his journey down her body, pausing to lick here and suck there, figuring out exactly what made her moan. He reached her bosom and licked around her areola before blowing a cool stream of air across the puckered bud. He met her gaze as he descended to gently suckle her nipple.

Rose clutched at the bedding beneath her, her breathing coming out in pants now. The Doctor brought his other hand up to attended to her neglected breast while his mouth continued worshiping her. Her hands shot to the back of his head, holding him in place, when he lightly grazed his teeth on the sensitive center. The vibrations from his responding chuckle only added to the delicious sensation.

Rose could feel a tightening in her abdomen; each swipe of his tongue, the slight pain from rolling her nipple between his teeth, only served to further tighten the coil. But it wasn’t enough- she needed more. She needed him.

“Doctor,” she keened.

“Yes, Rose?” he hummed against her flesh, switching his ministrations to her other breast.

“I need…”

“What do you need, Rose?” The Doctor’s hand traveled down her torso and swept a single finger along the damp patch of her knickers. Rose arched her hips off the mattress seeking further contact. He obliged her by running his finger along the same line, adding a little more pressure than before.

“What do you need, Rose?” he repeated in a low voice.

“Touch me,” was all she could get out.

The Doctor pulled her knickers to the side, his finger just grazing her lower lips. Even with her eyes closed, she felt his gaze on her, watching her reactions.

Very slowly, the Doctor pushed a finger inside of her, pumping a few times, then adding a second. Rose moaned deeply as his fingers slid in and out of her heat.

Then they were gone. She cried out at the loss, but she barely had time to register her knickers being pulled down her legs before his tongue had replaced his fingers. She felt the Doctor groan in pleasure against her.

His tongue followed the same path as his fingers did, tracing up and down, lapping up her juices. She was so close, and the sight of the Doctor’s head between her legs just about pushed her over the edge.

Without warning, he plunged his fingers inside her again and sucked on her tight bundle of nerves. Her hips shot of the bed, grinding against his face. With his free hand, he held her down and doubled his efforts.

Rose’s orgasm was quickly approaching, but she didn’t want to come like this. She wanted him filling her, making her whole. She wanted both of them to see stars at the same time.

Fighting her body’s impending climax, she pulled the Doctor up. His lips glistened with her wetness as he crawled up her body. He looked confused, his eyes searching hers for answers.

“Rose?”

“I need you inside me,” Rose gritted urgently, her inner walls clenching at the loss of his fingers. “Now.”

The Doctor smiled, lowering his mouth to hers, and lined himself up with her entrance. She tasted the sweet, yet salty tang of herself on his lips as he pushed his cock into her.

Rose broke the kiss with a gasp. He was bigger than she was used to, stretching her almost painfully. But oh, it felt so good. He fit her perfectly.

“All right?” The Doctor asked, looking down at her with concerned tenderness. Rose nodded with a smile, letting herself adjust to his size.

When she was ready, she tilted her hips up slightly, allowing the Doctor to slip in further, burying himself to the hilt inside her. The Doctor hissed through his teeth, his head falling back. When Rose tried to move, his hands came down and stilled her.

“Jus…Just give me a second,” he breathed, his eyes closed “It’s been a while, and this will be over far too soon if you keep that up. We’ve waited too long for this. I want this to last.”

After a few moments, the Doctor opened his eyes and withdrew from her before easing back inside.

“Okay?” the Doctor looked for any signs of distress that may have painted her features. He wouldn’t find any.

Rose locked her ankles around his waist, encouraging him to continue. “Better than,” she offered a tongue touched grin. That was all the reassurance the Doctor needed, and he began to drive into her earnestly.

He hit a spot deep inside of her that drew a string of curses from her lips. She had been so close before, but the sound of their slapping flesh and heavy breathing had her hurdling towards the edge. She wasn’t ready to fall, not yet, not without him.

“Yes, Doctor,” she moaned, digging her heels into his arse.

His hands tightened around the sheets and his shouldered tensed at he continued to pound into her. Rose nipped at his shoulder, willing herself to hold on just a bit longer.

“Come for me, Rose,” the Doctor breathed into her ear, and that was her undoing. She felt the flutters of her orgasm surge through her. Crying out, she tightened around him. Raking her nails down his back, the Doctor shouted her name as he spilled himself into her.

When his arms gave out beneath him, his weight was welcomed on top of her. She ran the tips of her fingers over the marks she knew she had left on his back, soothing them. The Doctor sighed happily nuzzling into her hair before rolling off her and pulling her into his arms. He draped the duvet over their rapidly cooling skin and pressed a lingering kiss to her temple. She laced their fingers together before finally drifting off to the sound of his hearts and her name on his lips.

~&~

Rose awoke to sunlight warming her face and pleasant ache between her thighs. She smiled at the memory of what happened the pervious night. Not only had she managed to locate the Doctor, but they had shagged! No, she thought, after those declarations and confessions, they had made love.

Feeling the urge to hold him in her arms again, her hand sought out the sleeping form of the Doctor. When she only met the cold silk of the bed sheets, she felt the familiar sense of dread and fear rise in her throat like bile. It had been a dream. It was always just a dream. She couldn’t even bring herself to open her eyes. Maybe if she kept them closed she good prolong the fantasy just a little bit longer.

“Morning, sleepy head,” a soft male voice murmured. At that, she did open her eyes.

The Doctor sat in a high-backed armchair dressed in just his oxford and trousers. Rose drank in his appearance: his shirtsleeves rolled up his forearms, glasses perched on his nose, and his hair looking even more beautifully mussed than usual. She couldn’t help the choked sob that escaped her.

“Hey,” the Doctor closed the small leather book that was in his hands and had her in his arms in a second. “What is it, love? What’s wrong?”

“You’re here, you’re actually here,” she whispered into his shirt, tears now falling freely.

“Of course I’m here! Where else would I be?” he said, his voice gentle.

“I thought…last night…I thought it been a dream…”

The Doctor chuckled softly, pressing his lips to her hair as he brushed away her tears with his thumbs. “I thought the same thing. It all seemed too good to be true! You finding your way back, which should have been impossible! Don’t think I’m not going to be running a few tests on you when we get back to the TARDIS,” he added seriously.

“So it all really happened?” Rose asked after a beat.

“Lets see: you crossed dimensions, I was turned into a giant toy soldier. There was a giant mouse king with seven heads and an army, which you and Donna defeated and saved the day. Then there was a big celebration where you managed to once again save my arse thanks to the powerful endorphins released when we kissed!” the Doctor finished with a beaming grin, his eyes shining merrily.

“And last night?” Rose said hesitantly.

“Oh, I can assure you last night really happened,” he waggled his eyebrows, nuzzling his nose against hers and fingers brushing along her bare skin. She shivered.

“So, you don’t regret anything?” she had to ask. She had to be sure.

“Only that we hadn’t done it sooner,” he practically growled, but pulled back to gaze down at her. “Do you? Regret anything that is.”

Rose released the breath she didn’t know she had been holding and felt all tension leave her body. “Never,” she said with a smile, leaning up to kiss him just because she could.

After breaking apart, they simply laid there in each other’s arms. Rose sighed happily, loving the way the Doctor held her.

“So, what are you reading?” Rose asked quietly.

“Hmm?”

“The book you had over there, what’s it about?”

“Oh, it’s not exactly a reading book per say…I mean yes it does have words, but it’s mostly, erm…”

“Mostly?” Rose prompted with a tongue-touched grin.

“It’s just a bunch of silly doodles and diagrams and such…” he mumbled.

“Can I see?”

“What?”

“Can I see them? Please?” Rose requested.

The Doctor sighed, defeated. He reached over and grabbed a slightly tattered leather book. “About a year ago, I had an encounter with this family, alien of course, and I had to turn myself human in order to hide from them. It’s sort of a long story, I’ll tell you another time,” he promised. “Anyways, human me, John Smith was my name, sort of had this thing for drawing. The dreams I had were all about the adventures I, often you and I, had. As a human, I thought they were just ridiculous dreams, but I had to write them down, drawing many of the images that appeared in the dreams as well. Even as a human with no memory of who I truly was, I still couldn’t seem to forget you. You showed up so many times, and I was constantly drawing you, the woman of my dreams.

“Well, after I became me again, the real me, I ended up giving my journal to a…to a friend I had met while in hiding,” he handed the book to Rose and allowed her to flip through the pages. “But I still found comfort in creating the drawing from my memories, sometimes writing things down, but it’s mostly pictures.”

Rose carefully perused the book. There were some drawings of strange alien landscapes, others various banana foods (she smiled at those), there were several sketches that looked like mechanical diagrams or various parts he could use to repair the TARDIS. Like he said, some of the pages had his loopy writing scrawled about, but some also had his own circular language printed here and there as well.

“When those mice searched me, they didn’t realize how deep these pockets go. Managed to keep my sonic and my book safe and sound.”

Rose’s cheeks started to hurt from smiling at all of the drawing she came across. “These are really beautiful, Doctor! I never knew-“ she stopped abruptly when she came across a pages that looked like they had seen more activity than most. There were pictures of her! Pictures of her smiling, pictures of her laughing, pictures of her reading a book in the library, even pictures where she just looked to be staring off into the distance.

“I may or may not have dreamt of you a bit after you were gone,” the Doctor added sheepishly.

Rose skimmed through more pages with a smile, but when she came across a set of pages that were all too familiar she nearly dropped the book with a gasp.

“These drawings…” she whispered, her fingers tracing the freshly drawn lines of an image that depicted her laying in a bed, draped in only a satin sheet that left little to the imagination.

“Um, yeah,” he laughed nervously with a shrug. “They’re all kind of from tonight. Just preserving memories, not that I need to with my big Time Lordy brain, but what can I say? I was feeling inspired!”

“These drawings are in one of the books that Fritz, Marie, Donna, and Marzi had.” Rose said when she found her voice again.

“They what?” it was the Doctor’s turn to look confused.

“It was these drawings that they used to convince me that I was the Sugar Plum Fairy.”

“And did they?”

Rose hadn’t really thought about that. At the time her primary focus was to help the small village take back their kingdom and perhaps rescue the Doctor.

“I didn’t need a drawing to convince me to come find you, Doctor. That was all you,” Rose said quietly.

“It wasn’t me who saved all of those people, that was all you and Donna. You really are the Sugar Plum Fairy. My Sugar Plum Fairy,” the Doctor smiled down at her, his eyes full of love and adoration.

“Speaking of Donna…”

“Ah, right. We should probably track her down before she tracks us down,” he winced. “But Donna is rather brilliant, and I think she’ll be all right for a little while longer.”

They grinned at each other like loons before the Doctor captured her lips with his. Just as he started to deepen the kiss, a thunderous knock erupted from the door.

“Oi! I’m glad you two found each other again, so when you’ve finished shagging the living daylights out of each other, I’d like to go back to the TARDIS for a long hot bath,” Donna’s voice shouted from outside the room. “And then maybe head to a nice spa planet, preferably one that isn’t made of diamonds this time!”

Rose bit her lip to stifle a giggle at the Doctor’s terrified expression. “Good to see the Oncoming Storm has finally met is match.”

“Rose Tyler, I will have you know that I am more than nine-hundred-“

Another round of hinge rattling knocks interrupted the impending speech.

“We should probably go,” the Doctor said timidly. Rose hid her smile behind her hand as she began to put her dress back on.

Both of them dressed and looking only reasonably rumpled, they headed to face the feisty ginger.

“Well it’s about bloody time,” Donna took in their appearance with the ghost of a smirk on her face. “It was also nice of you come out.”

“Okay, back to the TARDIS then?” the Doctor squeaked, placing himself ever so slightly behind Rose, his ears tinged with pink. “ I just need to make a quick stop, and then off to Hestianna Four for a nice relaxing spa retreat!”

“A quick stop?” Rose mouthed to him as they followed Donna down the hall. The Doctor held up the leather journal containing his drawings.

“Ah, wouldn’t want to cause another paradox,” she answered.

“Well yes, but why do I need these silly doodles when I have the real thing to hold?” he squeezed her hand for emphasis.

“Not to mention,” he purred, hauling her against his chest and rapping his arms around her. “There aren’t enough pages in the universe to capture what I have in store for you.”

“Those walls better be soundproof in that box of yours,” Donna yelled back at them. “Because I am not listening to you two goin’ at it all day! Now shift!”

Rose blushed, but laughed and relinked her fingers with the Doctor and led him down to where Donna was waiting with the TARDIS. She smiled up at the Doctor, who placed a tender kiss on her lips and continued on to the beautiful blue box. She was finally home.

 


End file.
